Today we’d like to introduce you to Cole Parrish.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a kid I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. My dad modeled this for me and I always knew it was just a matter of time until I owned my own business.
After graduating high school I went to a junior college to play baseball. Nothing else mattered to me until the summer after my sophomore year of college.
I was at the lake with friends when I was run over by a jet ski. I was knocked unconscious and don’t even remember being at the lake that day. Long story short, I was lucky to be alive and was able to leave the hospital four days later after only sustaining a concussion. This accident changed the trajectory of my life. I decided to stop playing sports and focus on school.
I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from a small Christian college with the hopes of becoming a pastor. I moved to Southern California where I went to seminary to get my master’s degree and became a pastor at a church for nearly 5 years. Besides the obvious duties of a pastor, there were a lot of business dynamics involved as I led a team to start a new church in a new area. This led me back to school to pursue my MBA.
Fast forward to 2020, where COVID and the reality of police brutality was glaring. The church couldn’t meet because of COVID and the conversations surrounding racial injustice helped me realize it was time for a change.
I stepped away from being a pastor and started my first business, Get Away Overland. We provided fully outfitted Jeep campers and campervans to help people get away and adventure outdoors. This was only a side hustle as I still explored what full-time employment would look like.
Imagining how I could put my money where my mouth was and in an effort to be the change I wanted to see in the world, I decided to become a police officer. I applied, went through the police academy, and became a police officer. For a variety of reasons, I resigned after 13 months. It was certainly an experience and I learned a ton, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t a long-term fit for me.
My next opportunity presented itself where I started consulting for a local glass company to help with business development, strategy, and organizational leadership. In an attempt to grow the business, I went to my first ever “Business Networking Group” breakfast. The hope was to find a way to generate word of mouth referrals, but this was not the experience for me. Here’s why…
1. It was a weekly commitment with required attendance
2. It takes an hour and a half for small talk, introductions, and a rotating lecturer talking about their business
I was determined to find a better way for businesses to get word of mouth referrals to grow their business. I couldn’t find one, so I started one. Meet Herald.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not a smooth road at all.
For undergrad, I transferred to four different schools before completing my degree.
Went to school to play baseball. After a year transferred to a new school to play football. Plagued with injury and could never get fully healthy. Then the jet ski accident. Transferred to focus on school. Then transferred to go to a school for the purpose of becoming a pastor. A lot of change.
This was a lot of change, but on top of this came the career change. From pastor to cop, to closing the doors of Get Away Overland, to consultant, and now back to a new startup.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am passionate about people. My friends joke that I am a “relational monster.” I love connecting and meeting new people, hearing their stories, and finding ways to help one another. This translates to business in my desire to create an amazing workplace culture. Job satisfaction, equitable/transparent pay, work-life balance, etc. are all important to me and is something I will embody with any company I get the honor of leading.
I am most proud of my therapy journey. Therapy has changed my life and it continues to do so as I seek to learn more about myself, my past, and the life I have in front of me.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is achieving what you set out to do measured by the metric you established.
This is why success looks different for different people. Our values are different, therefore one person’s success cannot be defined by someone else’s success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.meetherald.com
- Instagram: @meetherald
- Linkedin: /coleparrish07
